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Fancy That: Swagger Scores a Double in Colorado

Two of the largest all-breed shows in the U.S. this past weekend took place in Longmont, Colo., hosted by the Flatirons Kennel Club, and Old English Sheepdog GCh. Bugaboo’s Picture Perfect was Best in Show both days.

Judges David Kirkland and Paula Nykiel selected the OES for the final awards following Group wins under Annella Cooper and Sharon Ann Redmer. ‘Swagger,’ as many of our readers will remember, burst onto the scene in October 2012 when he won a Best in Show from the classes at Buckhorn Valley Kennel Club. He was then entered in the Bred-by-Exhibitor class at Westminster, the first time in 22 years that class dogs were entered at the Garden. Jim Reynolds took the 20-month-old all the way through to Best of Breed, and that evening Chuck Trotter awarded him Group First. On Tuesday night judge Michael Dougherty made Swagger the first Reserve Best in Show winner ever at Westminster.

GCh. Bugaboo’s Picture Perfect won back-to-back Best in Shows in his home state of Colorado this past weekend. He is pictured with judge Edd Bivin at an earlier event. Photo by Best In Show Daily.

From that auspicious beginning, the Old English has won 14 Group Firsts and three all-breed Best in Shows through April this year to become the Number 2 Herding dog. He was just 174 points behind Number 1 on April 30, so these two wins may push him into the top spot for May. Bred and owned by Colton and Heather Johnson, Swagger is of course handled by Colton, who also handled his dam, GCh. Bugaboo’s Georgie Girl, to multiple BIS wins, Number 7 Herding dog in 2009 and Number 2 Herding dog in 2010. His sire, Ch. Bugaboo’s Big Shot, was third in the Group at Westminster 2012.

Reserve BIS went to Debbie Campbell’s Toy Group winner, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel GCh. Miletree Northern Star at Shirmont. Handled by Clint Livingston, ‘Teddy’ is owned by Dr. Bruce and Shirley Henry and Betsy George, and bred by Peter and Ruta Towse, who, incidentally, also breed and show British Shorthair cats and Hampshire Down sheep in England. Teddy has been America’s Number 1 Cavalier since 2011, having won at least nine all-breed BIS, and was Number 7 Toy in 2011. Clint has handled several multiple Group and Best in Show winners for the Henry/George team, including Ch. Hurleaze Birthday Boy at Shirmont; his son, the 2004 through 2006 Number 1 Cavalier Ch. Hurleaze Bristol Blue at Shirmont; and his son, Ch. Shirmont Rhapsody in Blue.

Ch. Hurleaze Birthday Boy at Shirmont was a multiple Group and Best in Show winner in 2003, handled by Clint Livingston for owners Bruce and Shirley Henry and Betsy George. Photo by Gay Glazbrook.

Paula Nykiel’s Sporting Group winner on Saturday was Weimaraner Harline Win’Weim Encore Bravo Love Y’all, bred by Georgia Strong, and owned by Dana Massey, Deb Johnson, Alisa Andras and Susan Line, who shows her. This Group First completes the championship title for ‘Dorothy,’ who won’t turn a year old until July! Her future success was portended when she won the 6-9 Puppy class at the National Specialty, and her owners are justifiably proud of this terrific win. Upon receiving my email asking “Who is this new Weim?” Dr. Massey, writing from China, admitted, “The Group One was amazing! What a great way to finish!” Indeed.

In the Hound Group, judge Pam Peat’s winner was Greyhound Ch. Chaparral Tour de France, bred and owned by Carol Curlee, co-bred by Mercedes Vila and handled by Tiffany Marzluf. ‘Lance’ won his very first Best in Show last weekend in Casper, Wyo. His dam, Ch. GrandCru Chaparral Oban at Heart, now a Brazilian and FCI champion in addition to her American title, was handled by Diana Wilson to multiple Best in Show wins and Number 1 Greyhound in 2005 and 2006. ‘Erin’ also won the Greyhound Club of America southern specialty in 2006. The breeding from which she came, by Eng. Am. Ch. Ballalyn’s Foggy at Mistweave out of Am. Ch. Helicon Madrona, produced numerous champions, multiple Best in Show winners and Top 10 Greyhounds, more than one National Specialty winner and several top producers. Bred by Melanie Steele and Joni Lovci, the litter was perhaps one of the most successful Greyhound litters ever.

Weimaraner puppy bitch Harline Win’Weim Encore Bravo Love Y’all, who turns a year old in July, finished her championship Saturday with a Group First, handled by her owner Susan Line. Photo courtesy of Dr. Dana Massey.

Clint won two more Groups for the day, including the Non-Sporting Group under judge Inge Semenschin with Shar-Pei GCh. Vaje’s Jethrene Bodine. Bred and owned by Jeff and Vicki Mauk, co-owned by Todd and Sabrina Paddock, ‘Zoey’ has appeared numerous times in Fancy That. Her first claim to fame is that she is the sister (from a later breeding) to the only Shar-Pei ever to win the Group at Westminster, in 2011, GCh. Vaje’s Miss Jayne Hathaway. ‘Miss Jayne’ was also the Number 1 Shar-Pei 2009 through 2011. Zoey has picked up where sister left off, reaching Number 1 in the breed and Number 9 in the Group last year and has multiple Group wins again this year.

Mrs. Nykiel also judged the Working Group, won by the Clint Livingston-handled Newfoundland Ch. Mtn. High Calypso CGC. Bred and owned by Peggy Lange, co-bred by Gigi Griffith and co-owned by Lynn Kitch, this bitch is a granddaughter of the Group and Specialty Best in Show winner Ch. Pouch Cove’s Dark Horse, and appears to have just begun her specials career.

In the Terrier Group, Candy Way’s winner was Irish Terrier Ch. Breezy’s Redhawk Jack Clancy, owned by Eva Campbell and his breeder, Terri Vandezande. ‘Jack,’ co-bred by Barry Vanderzande, comes from international stock. His sire, Ch. Dearg Madra’s Eli Eli Oh, was Best in Sweepstakes at the National Specialty in 2002 and the Westminster BOB winner in 2004. Bred and owned by Mark and Laurie Ulrich, ‘Eli’ was handled in the U.S. by Allison Sunderman. His pedigree is a combination of the Ulrich’s Dearg Madra lines with Gertrud and Thomas Hagström’s well-known Merrymac Irish from Sweden. Eli earned his championship in Scandinavia and is now the sire of numerous multi-titled dogs in Europe. Jack’s dam, Ch. Breezy’s X-tra Special Star, is of half Merrymac breeding combined with successful American lines.

Only two dogs were repeat Group winners on Sunday. Swagger, as mentioned, was again Best in Show, while Greyhound Lance won his Group under David Peat and was Paula Nykiel’s Reserve Best in Show.

Debbie Campbell’s Sporting Group winner was GCh. Nyircsaszari Szilva Palinka, bred and owned by Sylvia Kerr. The Vizsla bitch has won multiple Groups and been among the breed’s Top 10 the past two years. Her sire, Ch. Mehagian’s Sizzl’n Hot-n-
Spicy VC CD MH CGC, has a Versatility Certificate from the Vizsla Club of America, which means that he not only has conformation, obedience and field titles – including Master Hunter – but he passed the parent club’s tests in all three categories as well.

In the Working Group, Annella Cooper selected Great Dane Ch. Shalako It’s All About Me V Regent as her winner. Breeder/owner-handled by Mari Lynn Davisson, she is co-bred by Deric Davisson and Shayne Anderson, and co-owned by Stephanie Taylor. Her maternal grandsire, Ch. Maitau’s Never Better, was Best in Futurity and Best Puppy at the 2002 Dane National and has gone on to sire more than 50 American champions, including the 2006 National Specialty Best of Winners and Best Puppy. He was bred and owned by Pat Ciampa, and Helen and Tiffany Cross.

The Terrier Group winner under David Kirkland was Smooth Fox Terrier GCh. High Mtn Everso Smooth, bred and owned by Carrie Snavely and Stefanie Perrine. ‘Sly’ earned multiple Group placements from the classes as well as his first Group win in 2012 as a 1 year old. A Group winner this year too, he’s sharing the spotlight with kennelmate GCh. High Mtn Everso In Command, also bred by Carrie and Stefanie, and a multiple Group and all-breed BIS winner for 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Affenpinscher GCh. Tamarin Tarheel, bred by Jackie and Terry Stacy, owned by Ann and Gary Schultz, and handled by Jorge and Susie Olivera, won the Toy Group under David Kirkland. ‘Tarheel’ is the Number 1 Affen this year and Number 12 in the Group through April in his first year as a special. His sire, Ch. Tamarin Tug, was Number 1 Toy and Number 3 among all breeds in 2008, also handled by Jorge for owners Phil and Patty Smith. During his career, ‘Taser’ became the top Best in Show-winning Affen of all time with 65 top awards, although his record was bested in 2012 by the would-be Westminster Best in Show winner, GCh. Banana Joe V Tani Kazari.

Tibetan Terrier Ch. Tibroke’s Odie Dragon Slayer was Best in Show under Karen McFarland in 2004, breeder/owner-handled by Kay Dickeson. Photo by Kohler.

David also judged the Non-Sporting Group, finding for his winner Tibetan Spaniel Tibroke’s Thrilling Possibilities, bred and owned by Kay Dickeson. This was another win from the classes, and this young fellow was just 1 year and 1 week old! But Kay is no stranger to the winners’ circle. She got her first Tibbie in 1983 and had the first owner-handled Group winner in the breed, Ch. Amrbier’s Pass The Buck, who was bred by Mallory Driskill. Kay has bred Group and Best in Show winners. Since 2001, all but one year, at least one, sometimes two or three, Tibroke Tibbies have been among the breed’s Top 20. In 2003, 2010 and 2011, in fact, the Number 1 ranked Tibetan Spaniel was from Tibroke. This was another great win for one of Kay’s dogs.

How terrific to find so many dogs winning Groups that I’ve never written about before in Fancy That, especially at shows with such nice entries. Congratulations to all of the winners, as well as those who won elsewhere around the country this past weekend.

Christi McDonald is a second-generation dog person, raised with a kennel full of Cairn Terriers. After more than a decade as a professional handler’s apprentice and handling professionally on her own, primarily Poodles and Cairns, she landed a fortuitous position in advertising sales with the monthly all-breed magazine ShowSight. This led to an 11-year run at Dogs in Review, where she wore several hats, including advertising sales rep, ad sales manager and, finally, editor for five years. Christi is proud to be part of the editorial team for the cutting-edge Best In Show Daily. She lives in Apex, N.C., with two homebred black Toy Poodles, the last of her Foxfire line, and a Norwich Terrier.